


Prince Eric is a Magician

by dbzgal04



Category: The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disney, F/M, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24277264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dbzgal04/pseuds/dbzgal04
Summary: Prince Eric is determined to find the lovely girl with a beautiful voice who rescued him.  He's able to find his rescuer, the mermaid Princess Ariel...thanks to his own magical and mystical abilities.
Relationships: Ariel/Eric (Disney)
Kudos: 5





	Prince Eric is a Magician

Prince Eric sighed as he sat on the sand, his dog Max beside him. “I’ve been searching all over, Max. Where can she be?”, the lovestruck prince sighed. Then he stood up and retreated back to his palace, Max following. 

Eric reached his private quarters, then unlocked a secret drawer on his desk. He pulled out a hand-held mirror, and commanded “Show me the girl who saved me!”

The mirror glowed a light blue aura, then showed the image of a girl near Eric’s age. She had long red hair, blue eyes, and a fair skin tone. To the prince’s delight, the mystery girl was also humming, and singing! Prince Eric was thrilled; he’d recognize that voice anywhere! Her face and eyes were also uncanny. 

Then the girl began swimming around gracefully; Eric suddenly gasped! She was wearing a purple seashell bikini top, and had a green fish tail! The prince blinked in surprise. This was no trick, the girl who rescued him and captured his heart was a mermaid! 

Prince Eric quickly but gently set the mirror down, then stood up and paced around his room. ‘I always heard tales about merfolk, but I had no idea…’ he thought, then grinned slyly and continued thinking ‘Then again, no one would ever suspect the truth about me, not even Grimsby or Carlotta!’ Only Max the dog knew, and he was as loyal as any living creature could be.

Eric wasn’t your ordinary prince. He also had magic and mystical abilities. The prince inherited these unique traits from his mother. She had been the last survivor of a far away and fallen kingdom, where the royals were powerful magicians. Unfortunately, not even magicians were immune to attacks and other disasters. Prince Eric’s mother barely escaped and survived. Finally, she came upon what was now Eric’s kingdom, and his father immediately fell in love with her. Everyone could tell his mother was royalty, though she was always evasive about where exactly she came from. But, they understood that she had her reasons. 

After Eric’s parents married and brought him into the world, his mother began to educate him about her background and his inherited abilities in secrecy. She made her son promise to never tell anyone, due to persecution of magicians which remained common throughout the years. Eric kept that promise up to this day.

Finally, Prince Eric picked up the mirror again, and continued watching this lovely mermaid. He soon learned that her name was Ariel, and she was a princess in her underwater domain of Atlantica! “What luck!”, the lovestruck human exclaimed. “She’s beautiful, has an amazing voice, and is also royalty!” Of course, he knew of the obvious problem, but that would be an easy fix. 

Eric placed the mirror back in its drawer. Then he pulled a trunk out from under his bed, and searched through the contents. He pulled out and opened a thick book. After flipping through the pages and finally finding the section he was looking for, Eric gathered some vials filled with oils, and small bags filled with different powders. After gathering the necessary ingredients, he placed them inside a black bag. The prince then grabbed the book before going back outside to the beach. He kept the bag hidden under his long, loose shirt. After arriving at the shoreline, Prince Eric took out the black bag and sorted through the contents. He finally pulled out two particular small bags. One had sparkly, pink powder and the other had tiny purple stones. 

Prince Eric sat on the sand, Max eagerly watching his master. He opened the book and hid the black bag back under his shirt. After finding the page Eric needed, he opened the small bags of pink powder and purple stones. Luckily for him, the incantation was short and simple. The magician prince stood back up and waded into the water, then he sprinkled the powder into the sea and tossed the stones into the distance, all the while reciting a mysterious chant.

Meanwhile under the sea, a crab named Sebastian was giving Ariel a hard time about being in love with a human and wanting to live on land. He then engaged other fish and marine creatures into a musical performance, trying to convince Ariel that life was so much better where she was at right now and always had been. 

Suddenly, Ariel heard an odd, yet alluring chanting. She couldn’t understand the words, yet at the same time knew what was being said. But how could this be possible? Her eyes suddenly glowed a subtle but bright yellow. Then the mermaid princess turned and started swimming. It wasn’t until after Ariel took off that Sebastian realized she was gone. The crab sighed “Someone needs to pin her fins to floor!”

Just then, a yellow fish with blue stripes arrived at Sebastian’s side. “Hey, have you seen Ariel?”, he cried excitedly.

“Hi Flounder. Well, she was here just a few minutes ago,” the irritated crustacean replied, “but she swam off while I wasn’t looking. So typical!”

“Do you know where she could’ve gone to? I have a surprise for her!”, Flounder said.

Suddenly, someone else called out “Sebastian!” Then a seahorse hastily arrived at their side; he was the messenger of King Triton, Ariel’s father. The seahorse said “Sebastian, I've been looking all over for you. I've got an urgent message from the sea king. He wants to see you right away, something about Ariel.”

After the messenger seahorse quickly swam away, something clicked in Sebastian’s mind, and Flounder’s mind too. They gasped and gaped at each other. “He knows…”, Sebastian whispered.  
Meanwhile, a hypnotized Ariel continued swimming in the direction where this unknown force bade her to come. Before long, she broke the surface. Then the mermaid kept on swimming, until she could no longer move! 

At last, the chanting ceased. The yellow glow left Ariel’s eyes, and finally the mermaid princess realized why she was suddenly unable to keep swimming. She had exited the water completely, and was laying on the dry sand of a beach! Ariel glanced around in bewilderment, then realized this was the same beach where she sang to Prince Eric!

Just then, there came a loud bark. Then the mermaid felt something furry rub against her, and felt a smooth tongue lick her cheek. She was about to scream, when a familiar voice called “Max, come here!” As Ariel recovered from her shock after the creature left her side, the same familiar voice said, “Well, it’s about time I finally found you…Princess Ariel.”

The startled mermaid turned around, and her heart skipped a beat…there stood Prince Eric! She smiled joyously, and tried to approach him, but then remembered that she couldn’t walk due to her fins. Ariel looked over her tail, then lowered her head and blushed. “Please understand, Eric…”, she said sadly. 

The human prince merely snickered, then came closer and laid beside Ariel, and gently ran his hand through her hair. “I already knew that you’re a mermaid,” he said, smiling warmly.

Ariel glanced up, and the human’s smile immediately melted her heart again, along with the understanding look in his eyes. She smiled brightly and said “I took a big risk with rescuing you. Contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden, as my daddy always says. But I couldn’t let you perish!”

“For that, I’m very grateful,” Prince Eric stated. Then to the mermaid’s surprise, and delight, he leaned in and kissed her lips! Passionately, yet gently, the human’s lips grazed those of the mermaid. The next thing they knew, Eric flopped over on to his back, and pulled Ariel on top of him. They continued kissing and embracing, the prince’s fingers beginning to caress that long, red hair. When they broke away from the kiss, the couple continued gazing into each other’s eyes. 

Finally, Ariel asked “How did you know the truth about me?”

Eric gave her a smug grin, then replied “Let’s just say, I have some secrets of my own.” Then he stood up, and gently laid Ariel on her back. Before the mermaid could ask anything, the human said, “Speaking of which, please close your eyes for a few minutes,” and winked at her!

Ariel giggled and gladly obliged. After the beautiful mermaid princess closed her eyes, Prince Eric laid the book at her side, the page he needed already being marked. Then the magician prince pulled out the black bag. He poured the vials of oil over her tail and fins. Next, Eric sprinkled the remaining powders on her tail and fins as well. He quickly glanced over the page, then closed his eyes and began massaging the oils and powders into Ariel’s scales. Eric started in the middle, then worked his way to the top of the mermaid’s tail, where scales met skin. Then he began working toward the end of her tail, finally arriving at the fins. 

Just then, Ariel let out a weak hiss of pain! But she kept her eyes tightly closed. Eric could feel those fins changing shape. Then he went back up her tail, continuing to chant and massage. Slowly but surely, the texture of her scales was changing too. Ariel suddenly let out another weak hiss of pain! Eric could now feel her tail splitting in two, all the while he kept on chanting and massaging, moving up and down her body. His hands came back to what remained of Ariel’s fins. Eric continued to firmly rub, until he finally felt…toes!

The magician prince slowly stood up, then opened his eyes. It worked; Ariel now had human legs and feet! In addition, her scales had turned into a sparkly, emerald green skirt. Eric grinned in satisfaction. “Okay, you can open your eyes now!”, he announced.

Ariel groaned as she slowly awoke. Then she sat up, and…screeched! Eric jumped upon hearing her screech. But then she lifted up one of her new legs, and stared in awe at her foot. Then Ariel wiggled her new toes, and giggled at the feeling. She turned toward the prince, who was giving her another smug grin. “I take it you like them?”, he asked.

Ariel nodded energetically. “I’ve always been fascinated with humans, and lately my yearning to be part of your world has gotten much stronger.”

Eric took her hands in his, and helped her stand up. Ariel stumbled when she tried to take a step forward, but the prince was holding her firmly. He placed his arm across her shoulders, holding her close. “Are you ready?”, he asked.

“Yes!”, the pretty redhead replied. 

Eric took a step forward, and Ariel did the same. She stumbled again, but the magician prince continued to hold on to her, strongly yet gently. The couple continued for several minutes, and Ariel began to improve. 

“Are you ready to try on your own?”, Eric asked.

“Yes!”, Ariel replied. The prince nodded at her, and slowly released her from his grip. The redhead stood still for a moment, then began to step forward. She took a few more steps. “Yes, I’m walking!”, she cried happily.

Eric smiled as he watched her. Finally, Ariel returned to him. As they gazed into each other’s eyes and held hands, she suddenly jumped upon hearing the same bark from before! She glanced down at Eric’s side, and saw the same creature which discovered and greeted her on Eric’s ship. The prince patted the dog’s head, and told Ariel “This is Max. He’s a good and friendly dog.”

The princess smiled at the dog, then reached out her hand to pet him. His fur was very soft. Max licked her hand, showing his approval. Ariel giggled again. “See? He likes you!”, Eric said.

The smiling princess looked back at Eric, then asked, “How were you able to turn me into a human?”

“Like I said, I have some secrets of my own,” he replied, that smug grin coming back.

“Oh, I see,” said Ariel. She lowered her head, and continued “I understand if it’s too personal. I know all too well about having to keep secrets. Like I mentioned, I’ve always been fascinated with your world. I even have a large collection of human stuff in a hidden grotto. My father doesn’t know about my collection though, nor do my sisters. He hates anything and everything to do with humans, calling them ‘barbarians’ and other insults. I shudder to think of what he’d do if my discovered my collection…and what he’d do if he found out about me rescuing and falling in love with you!” She blushed after speaking those final words.

Prince Eric pulled her in for a tender embrace. “I’ve fallen in love with you, too. No matter what, I’ll never let anyone or anything harm you!” Then he filled Ariel in on the backstory of himself and his mother. She was saddened to hear about his mother’s kingdom, but glad and grateful that everything worked out the way it did. Ariel was awestruck about Eric also being a magician, but she also found it very neat. She told him that similar beings also exist under the sea, which led to her briefly mentioning the sea witches Ursula and Morgana. Ariel visibly shuddered upon mentioning their names.

Eric noticed, because he asked, “I take it those two are bad news?”

“Yes indeed,” Ariel replied and nodded.

Eric smiled and stated, “As I already said, I’ll never let anyone or anything harm you.” Then he leaned in and kissed the delighted princess again. She wrapped her arms around him while leaning into the kiss. 

After the lovebirds pulled away, Prince Eric asked, “Would you like to come to my palace, and see my kingdom?”

Princess Ariel eagerly nodded, while flashing her bright smile. Eric smiled, then interlocked his arm with hers before leading the beautiful redhead to his palace. Unbeknownst to Ariel, Scuttle the seagull witnessed the whole ordeal! He was flying when he saw Ariel come on the beach. The seagull was alarmed when he saw Eric and Max there as well, but Scuttle quickly realized they meant Ariel no harm. He landed and perched on a nearby tree, being sure to stay hidden from view. Scuttle was shocked to see Eric turn Ariel into a human, but he had to admit her reaction was cute! The seagull continued observing the couple, happy that things were working out well for Ariel. After they left for Eric’s palace, Scuttle smiled warmly before flying away.

When the couple entered the palace, everyone present, including the prince’s mentor Grimsby and the maid named Carlotta, gasped in awe at the sight of this lovely stranger. Her skin-showing outfit was a little shocking at first, but this stranger was so otherworldly beautiful that it didn’t matter; not to mention the outfit did look great on her, and enhanced her loveliness. 

Finally, Prince Eric announced, “I finally found her! This is the girl who saved me!”

Ariel nodded her head proudly, then began to sing for everyone the same lyrics she sung to Eric while laying with him on the beach after the storm. Grimsby and Carlotta’s mouths dropped, just like everyone else present. Their prince hadn’t been hallucinating after all! Not to mention, this girl did indeed have an intoxicating voice, more otherworldly than anyone had ever heard before. 

When Ariel completed her song, everyone cheered and applauded. Grimsby approached the couple and said, “You were right Eric, I’m so sorry for doubting you.” Then he glanced at the pretty newcomer. The older man bowed, then asked “May I ask your name, beautiful one?”

She smiled and replied, “Ariel…Princess Ariel.”  
`  
Grimsby gasped, as did Carlotta and all others in the area. Then the mentor commented to Eric, “What a perfect match this is!” The grinning man patted the prince’s back. Eric merely smirked at him.

Next, Carlotta approached the newcomer. The friendly maid bowed her head and curtsied before introducing herself. “My name is Carlotta, dearie…I mean, your Highness! It’s quite an honor to have you here, and thank you so much for rescuing our Prince Eric!”

Ariel smiled and replied, “You’re most welcome. Besides, I had to make sure your charming prince would be alright.”

She then received a tour of the palace. Later that evening, Ariel had dinner with Prince Eric and his mentor Grimsby. Before their meals arrived, Ariel grabbed the…dinglehopper in front of her, and began brushing her hair. She paused upon noticing the stares from Eric and Grimsby, then frowned and placed it back on the table. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, “Where I’m from, that’s how we use dinglehoppers.”

Eric laughed, then said “No need to worry!” 

A startled Grimsby asked “Dinglehopper?! What do you mean?”

Ariel replied, “Let’s just say, my kingdom had different customs and practices, and names for things.”

Grimsby looked at Eric, who merely nodded at him. The mentor smiled and said, “I understand. Besides, such differences make the world more interesting and unique!”

The relieved princess smiled and nodded back. Grimsby then pulled out his pipe. Ariel’s eyes lit up as she reached for it. “Oh, you like it?”, the man asked. Ariel took a deep breath and blew into the pipe, causing her love’s mentor to become covered in ash. Eric laughed at the sight, as did Carlotta when she entered the dining room. Grimsby merely chuckled and wiped the ash off his face with a napkin. 

The princess blushed in embarrassment, and stammered “That looked like a musical instrument, at least from my home!”

The older man gave her another gentle smile and replied, “No need to worry, your Highness.”

Eric and Carlotta nodded in agreement, as the maid set their covered plates down in front of them. “This is one of Louie’s specials, stuffed crab. I hope you like it!”, she said to Ariel. She uncovered the plate, and sure enough there was a stuffed crab, surrounded by lettuce. 

Before the princess started eating, Prince Eric cleared his throat to get her attention. When she glanced at him, he held up the fork and knife, then demonstrated for her. Ariel grinned, and began using the cutlery for eating this meal. After dinner, Carlotta said to the newcomer, “I take it you liked the stuffed crab?”

“Yes, it was wonderful!”, Ariel replied. “Please give Louie my greatest compliments.”

Carlotta smiled and said “Will do, honey…I mean-“

The princess interrupted the maid. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be so formal with me.”

The maid sighed in relief, then replied, “If you insist.” Ariel nodded and winked at her. Then Carlotta continued, “You’ve had a really long day, I’ll draw a warm bath for you!”

“Thank you.” After Carlotta exited, and then Grimsby too, Ariel whispered to Eric “What exactly is a bath?”

The prince explained that a bath is a tub one sits in, filled with water and soap for personal body cleaning. She was very intrigued by the sound of this! Before long, Ariel was sitting in the bathtub Carlotta prepared for her. She gathered some bubbles in her hands and blew them through the air. The maid couldn’t help but smile in amusement. Afterward, Carlotta dressed Ariel in an elegant pink robe and led her to the bedroom which Prince Eric indicated would serve as her living quarters.

Ariel gasped in awe upon seeing her new bedroom. The spacious bed had purple covers and a purple canopy. There was a fireplace with a long mirror above, and a doorway leading to a small balcony. “I…love it!”, she exclaimed.

Carlotta smiled and bid her good night. Ariel laid in her new bed, and quickly dozed off.

The next morning, Eric gave Ariel a tour of the surrounding area. They rode in a horse-drawn carriage. Eric was dressed in his usual loose white shirt, blue pants, and black boots. Ariel was clad in a blue dress, with the bodice being a dark shade and the skirt and sleeves being lighter in shade. Ariel also had a matching blue bow in her hair. The princess has a wonderful time touring the town square, seeing vendors selling flowers and other goods, and watching a puppet show which she thought was cute and entertaining. Next, Eric danced with Ariel while musicians played music. She was very graceful in her movements. Everyone around observed their prince dancing with this lovely girl, whom they quickly learned was a princess. It didn’t surprise anyone though, with Ariel’s grace and invisible aura she seemed to give off. After the couple finished dancing, their audience applauded. Eric smiled and bowed, while Ariel smiled and curtsied.

Finally, evening came, and Eric took Ariel on a boat ride. After settling by a willow tree, he said “I’m glad you had such a great time today! Everyone here loves and adores you. But how could anyone not adore you, my princess?”

Ariel blushed, then replied “Thanks, Eric. Your world is even more amazing that I could’ve ever imagined.”

The couple gazed into each other eyes. Then, they began to lean in closer to each other. But before they could kiss, Ariel jumped at the sound of a familiar voice calling for her! 

“Ariel…Ariel! Where are you? The whole kingdom is searching for you!” 

The redhead quickly glanced around, and gasped. He was turned away from her and Eric, but about ten feet away from the boat there was Sebastian at the surface! Before Ariel could say anything, and before Eric could ask what was going on, Flounder surfaced next to the crab! 

“I haven’t seen any sign of Ariel anywhere,” the fish sighed. “Have you had any luck, Sebastian?”

The crab shook his head. “This time, she’s gone too far, both figuratively and literally!”

Ariel looked back at Eric, and pressed her finger to her lips. After the prince nodded at her, she softly called out “Sebastian! Flounder! I’m right here!”

The pair spun around, and gasped! “Ariel! What are you doing with that human?”, Sebastian demanded.

Flounder quickly swam over, and asked “What exactly is going on here? Why are you in a boat, and…”

Before the stunned fish could continue, Scuttle appeared and perched on the side of the boat. The seagull announced to the fish and crustacean “It’s simple. Ariel has the body of a human now!”

Said princess was about to give the seagull a sharp glare, when Sebastian and Flounder gasped again. Ariel could only nod her head in acknowledgement, then slowly stood up in the boat. Her friends gawked in horror upon seeing that she had legs. 

“Ariel, how did this happen?! Please don’t tell me you got involved with that monster Ursula, or even Morgana!”, cried Sebastian.

“No, of course not,” Ariel replied. 

“Then how have you been turned into a human?”, Flounder inquired, his eyes wide.

Before the redhead could say anything else, Scuttle spoke up again. “Just follow me, and I’ll explain everything!”

Flounder and Sebastian nodded at the seagull, then gave Ariel a sad and pleading look before swimming away. When her friends were at a far enough distance, she sighed and slowly sat back down.

“What was that all about?”, Eric asked. “I take it you could understand those creatures?”

“Of course,” his ladylove replied. “The crab was Sebastian, the fish was Flounder, and the seagull was Scuttle. Apparently my whole kingdom has been searching for me.” She sighed, then continued “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. Those three are my lifelong friends, especially Flounder and Scuttle. In fact, it was Scuttle who would tell me about human stuff, including the dinglehopper.”

“I see,” Eric said softly, then held her hands. “I love you. But I won’t force you to stay with me if you don’t want to.”

“No, no, no!”, Ariel exclaimed. “I love being with you, and seeing your world.”

The prince could only smile as he continued holding her hands. Then he leaned in and gave the princess another tender kiss. She wrapped her arms around Eric, holding him in a gentle embrace. After a few minutes, they decided it was time to go back to the palace. 

Later that night after dinner, Ariel stood on her balcony, gazing at the ocean. The sea princess missed her family and friends. But she always wanted something more than just living in the ocean. Now she finally had this dream, and to make it even better Ariel was with the man she loved. Finally, she let out a long sigh and went to her new bed. But Ariel didn’t fall asleep as easily tonight.

The following morning, the princess was suddenly awakened by someone yelling her name. Ariel opened her eyes and stood out of the bed. She ran around her room, searching for whoever was urgently calling for her. Then Ariel looked to the balcony, and saw Scuttle perched on the ledge. The seagull chuckled when his friend finally noticed him. Ariel smirked, then approached the bird and asked “What’s going on?”

“First of all, there’s word going around on land that Prince Eric has decided to marry someone!” Ariel paused, then jumped with delight upon hearing this news. But then Scuttle continued “You weren’t aware, but I was close by and witnessed the whole thing when the prince turned you into a human. Last night, I had no choice but to inform Sebastian and Flounder.”

Ariel’s eyes widened in fear, and she slowly backed away. “You what?...” the redhead stuttered.

The seagull replied “Like I said, I was left with no choice. Sebastian and Flounder want to see you as soon as possible, and so does…your father.”

Ariel gulped. “Oh no…”

Scuttle sighed and shook his head. Then he smiled and said, “I’m always here for you, no matter what!”

The princess smiled back and replied, “Yes, of course.” Then she went to the edge of the balcony beside her avian friend and looked around outside. Then Ariel remembered that there was a dock on the other side of the palace. Glancing in this direction, she pointed and told Scuttle “On that side of the palace is a dock. Tell Daddy, Flounder, and Sebastian that I’ll meet them there in a few hours.”

The seagull smiled and wished her luck before flying away. Ariel then hurried inside and quickly dressed into the outfit she wore the previous day. She opened her door to go find Eric, and nearly bumped into Carlotta! The maid laughed and said “Sorry about that, your Highness…I mean, dearie! I’m glad you’re awake though, because Prince Eric needs to speak with you right away, about something very important.” Then she winked at the princess.

Ariel smiled and replied “I need to speak with him about something very important too; where is he?!”

“In the dining room, honey,” the maid answered, then asked “Is something wrong, dear princess? You look tense!”

“I’m alright, I just need to see Eric immediately.” Ariel said.

Carlotta smiled and took her hand, leading the redhead to the dining room. Upon entering, the maid announced, “Here she is, your Highness.”

Eric turned, and gave Ariel a bright flashy smile. Grimsby smirked and snickered at his side. The prince then approached Ariel, got on his knee and placed a lovely, diamond and pearl ring on her finger! “Princess Ariel, will you marry me?”, he asked, blushing. Carlotta shed a tear of joy, as did Grimsby.

Ariel’s heart thumped as she gazed at the beautiful ring, and the prince she loved. She took a deep breath, and nodded. “I will, Eric!”

The prince, his mentor, and the maid all jumped and cheered for joy. When Grimsby and Carlotta exited to start working with everyone else on planning the wedding, Ariel took Eric’s hand and led him to the window. She whispered “Yes, I will marry you, Eric. But I have something very urgent to tell you!”

Still grinning with joy, the prince replied, “Go ahead.”

Ariel nodded, then informed Eric of everything Scuttle told her; how the seagull was nearby and witnessed her transformation, was left with no choice but to inform Sebastian and Flounder of the whole thing, and now those two wanted to see her today. Before finishing, Ariel said, “My daddy wants to see me too! I remembered the location of the dock by the palace. I told Scuttle that Daddy, Sebastian, and Flounder can meet me there in a few hours.”

Eric noticed that Ariel was trembling in fear and anxiety. He held the princess close. “I already promised that I’ll never let anyone or anything hurt you, and I’ll always stick to that. Besides, I’ll come meet your father too.”

Ariel shook her head emphatically, and cried “No! There’s no telling what he’d do to you!”

The prince kissed her, then assured, “It will be fine. If you want, I’ll stay further back, or even hide.”

Ariel saw the love and determination in his eyes. Knowing he’d do anything for her and keep his word, she smiled and nodded.

A few hours passed, and Ariel was at the end of the dock, pacing back and forth. Eric was in the middle of the dock, hiding behind a few stacks of barrels. Finally, the sound of something emerging from the waves caught their attention. Eric peeked around the barrels, and at the end of the dock there was a shirtless man rising out of the water. He had long white hair and a long thick beard. He wore a golden crown on his head, and held a trident in his hand. The man was glaring at his beloved, with a rage he’d never seen before. 

Finally, the man spoke to Ariel. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?!”, he demanded.

Ariel pleaded “Daddy, would you just calm down and listen?!”

King Triton snapped “How can I calm down?! Not only did you return to the surface, but apparently you rescued a human from drowning, even though you and everyone else knows contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden! And now, just look at you…with feet and legs!” The sea king raised his trident at his daughter, then said “You’re coming home with me right now, and if I have to keep you locked up in the palace, so be it!”

Before Ariel could protest, and before King Triton could use his trident to transform Ariel back into a mermaid, Prince Eric shouted “No! Hold on!”

Ariel quickly spun around, and King Triton lowered his trident. The prince hurried toward his ladylove and her father. He bowed to the sea king, then said “Your Majesty, please listen to me. I’m very grateful toward your daughter for rescuing me. I’ve gotten to know her these past couple days, and…I love her!”

King Triton gasped in shock. “No…”

Ariel joined Eric at his side. “Yes, Daddy, and…I love him too!”

“No!”, the merman cried again, then shouted “Have you lost your senses completely?!”

Prince Eric stepped forward, and calmly said “Your Majesty, Ariel and I truly do love each other. I understand why you’re upset, but not all humans are bad. In fact, let me show you something.”

The sea king only watched in bewilderment as this human came up to him. Then Eric pulled out his hand-held mirror, which he’d been hiding under his shirt. He held it toward the merman, then said, “It’s okay. Just hold on to it with me.”

The stunned merman blinked, then nodded and held the handle of this mirror. King Triton was shown visions; first, the history of Eric’s mother’s kingdom; then Eric’s upbringing with his heritage as a magician. He also saw the many good deeds of magicians and humans, and the wonderful times his daughter was having with Eric and his people. King Triton saw the vision of Ariel telling Eric about the sea witches Ursula and Morgana, and how she shuddered upon mentioning those names. He also saw the love and dedication Eric showed his daughter, and the promise to never let her be harmed.

When the visions were gone, King Triton let go of the mirror and lowered his hand. “What is it, your Majesty?”, Sebastian asked at his side. Flounder also gazed up at the sea king.

Triton glanced down at the crab and fish, and said, “I just saw many visions of humans and other creatures. They’re not the barbarians I always thought they were! Humans have done many good deeds as well. Not to mention, under the sea we have bad news demons like Ursula and Morgana! And this human right here…is very special and unique.”

King Triton looked back at his daughter and her beloved, and gave the couple a warm smile. He shook Eric’s hand, and said “Thank you, for opening my eyes and mind.”

Eric smiled and once again bowed to the sea king.

Then the merman glanced at Ariel, and said “You’ve been so happy these past few days. I haven’t seen you so happy under the sea in…I don’t know how long. And this man is truly one of a kind. His affection and dedication toward you are purely genuine.” King Triton trailed off for a moment, then continued “I’m going to miss you, my dear Ariel. You may stay in the human world if you wish.”

Ariel smiled and wrapped her father in a tight hug. “I love you, Daddy. But I won’t be out of your life forever. Our palace is right beside the ocean. Besides, I can still come visit at times if I want to!” After saying that last part, Ariel pulled away and winked at her dad, and at Eric as well, who smirked and nodded at King Triton in agreement.

The merman wiped a tear from his eye; so did Flounder and Sebastian. They would all miss having Ariel around all the time, but her happiness was what mattered the most. Plus, with her new home being right at the seaside, and with both her father and fiancé having special powers… 

Ariel embraced King Triton again before he went back to Atlantica. She also embraced and kissed Sebastian and Flounder. The pair smiled at her before disappearing under the water.

Ariel stood back up and turned toward Eric. Tears in her eyes, she cried “Thank you so much!”

Eric only nodded, then picked Ariel up by her sides and spun her around before kissing his fiancé again. He carried her back to the palace. Once again, Scuttle was nearby. He was very moved by the encounter with Eric and King Triton, and so glad that everything worked out the way it did! 

A few weeks later, Prince Eric and Princess Ariel were married. They had the wedding on a fancy ship. When the couple kissed, everyone in attendance cheered. Grimsby and Carlotta cried tears of joy. In the near distance, the merfolk were also cheering and celebrating! While the guests ate cake and other delicious food, and danced, the newlyweds went to the back side of the ship. They waved at Ariel’s friends and family, and all the other merfolk and marine creatures in attendance. The aquatic guests all waved back at the couple. Ariel’s sisters were crying with happiness. Then, King Triton waved his trident through the air, and created a beautiful sparkling rainbow.


End file.
